Wednesday, 28 May 2014

HOMEOFHOUSE dance music forum proudly presents a night of unpresidented mayhem and revelary live on Rokagroove radio. 7 hours, 7 DJ's playing a range of the best dance music spanning 30 years of H.O.U.S.E..... from oldskool to US garage and house to funky disco house.... Get locked in from 6 pm GMT until late (or when they kick us off the decks).... Just follow the link below, join us in chat or listen in on one of the links found on the Rokagroove radio website....Rokagrooveradio.webs.com/

I am playing from 22.00 until 23.00 hours or until they kick me off... A taster of what I play can be heard on the my mixes link in the places I like to go!!

Wednesday, 9 April 2014

Another Blog51 exclusive. A new set from a shine night in 1992 from Russ. Regularly DJing alongside Mike Pickering and Sasha, Russ soon had a strong influence and following in and around Manchester. He ran his own record shop and a few years later had one of the most influencial nights called 'Out In The Sticks' at a small club called the Blue Note in Todmorden just outside of Manchester. It may have been small but that basement room had one of the sweatiest most uplifting dancefloors of all time, with Russ and Craig attracting the likes of Brian Tappert and Full Intention to join them on the decks. When the Haçienda sadly shut it's doors in 1997 this is where we and many of the Haçienda regulars headed off to. Russ and Craig ran an excellent night in the most unlikliest of places - the northern mill town of Todmorden. Indeed within a month of the faç51 doors closing Graeme Park played his first set at the Bluenote.

Saturday, 5 April 2014

In the beginning, there was Frankie, and Frankie had a groove. And from this groove came the groove of all grooves. And while one day viciously throwing down on his box, Frankie boldy declared, "Let there be HOUSE!" and house music was born. I am, you see, I am the creator, and this is my house!

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Most Haçienda heads have their favourite periods that they recall as their bestera that they had in the back in the day. Nude nights in 89, Hot nights in 87 or the epic vocal house nights in 93-94... Obviously they were dependant on the years that people danced away the night! For me it was definately late 1991! Why? Well more about that when I add my favourite set.... For now I am going to take us to March 1992. March, April and May 92, in my opinion saw Graeme Park probably at his best in style, choice of music, he was superb, defining, influencial and his mixing was epic.... over the next six weeks you could see how he developed the dancefloor, used the tracks to great effect and kept the Haçienda rammed to the hilt. It was around this time that by disecting his mixing, his use of the break, booming baselines and piano I learnt to mix, really mix and this is one of those sets that inspired me and my choice of music.....Download:Graeme Park 1992.03.28 @ Haçienda, Manchester Side AGraeme Park 1992.03.28 @ Haçienda, Manchester Side B

Saturday, 15 March 2014

A new share from the Haçienda in 1994 for you to enjoy. Tom Wainwright doing what he does best once again. definately not given as much exposure as his counter parts, Graeme Park, Jon da Silva and Mike Pickering, however I reckon he headlined pretty regularly around 1994 and 1995 focusing on the regular Haçienda Vocal US House and garage sound, yet he definately made the place his own. One of my most rated DJ's for sure.Tom Wainwright 1994.04.30 @ Haçienda Manchester Side ATom Wainwright 1994.04.30 @ Haçienda Manchester Side BA huge thanks to Stu W for the opportunity to own this set. You know it bro!

The view from the infamous alcove! of the Haçienda as depicted in a scale model of the club

Saturday, 8 March 2014

Another Internet exclusive for BLOG51. 1993 was a volatile time in the Haçienda, still rammed to the hilt, a heady dance floor atmosphere swaying with students and designer clad clubbers, but there was an edge to the place, especially the door, once in though it was a different matter - our space. Other clubs had opened in Manchester, Home and the Paradise factory offering alternative clubbing experiences but for us there was still only one venue.... the Haçienda and this tape shows why. Classic vocal and house cuts dominated the sound system and kept it our soul! focus... superbDownloadGraeme Park 1993.10.02 @ Haçienda Manchester Tape X Side AGraeme Park 1993.10.02 @ Haçienda Manchester Tape X Side B

Friday, 28 February 2014

I was listening to this the other day and thought then that it needed posting. I must have mentioned before that 91 was for me one of the best years for music at the Haçienda. Big baselines, Garage House forging it's own direction and excellent production from the likes of Knuckles, Morales and Humphries. Long serving DJ's who dominated their field, knowing their floor to use that experieice to produce some of the best records of the time. Tracks that must have influenced parky to inspire him to then remix some of the best records of the era... I think this is the souindtrack of my birthday weekend that year. possibly mislabelled by a day but I am not goning to get hung up about that. Enjoy....Download: Graeme Park 1991.10.21 @ Haçienda Manchester

I have just checked my archives and this tape is also going around as Graeme park @ Sign Of The Times!

Tom Wainwright.... Gotta love Tom Wainwright. Consistently wicked in every set that I have and this is yet another example. Rocking Cream @ Nation in Liverpool back in the day. Good to still see him playing out too... Download: Tom Wainwright @ Cream Nation 1994

Sunday, 23 February 2014

Graeme Park's set from the Haçienda Night at Cream Liverpool was one of the best I have heard from 1994. Great vocals and mixing soon established him as a firm favourite in Liverpool's superclub. The club attracted revellers from all over the North West and beyond with an excellent door policy, great atmosphere, die hard clubbers and a top DJ bills such as the one demonstrated on this night. The Haçienda DJ's rocked the house showing just how far reaching the influence was of this hallowed venue.... Manchester in the area.Download: Graeme Park 1994.10.28 @ Haçienda Night, Cream, Liverpool

Friday, 21 February 2014

A set from the infamous Haçienda's Tenth Birthday Party.A great night with quality sets from all the DJ's. Morales rocked the floor playing a superb set including Solution 'Feel So Right'; DSK 'What Would We Do' and Kathy Sledge 'Take Me Back To Love'.

Wednesday, 19 February 2014

This night was the week before our trip to Ibiza so you can image that we were right up for it. The atmosphere at the time in the Haçienda was particularly intense... stage rammed, podiums bursting and everyone proper on one! Although edgy at times, my memories are of friendly faces, integration on the dancefloor, friendhips and shared moments and back to ours to carry on the hedonism!! Into the night and all that sort of thing.

This one starts out in a more mellow style, I love that solid thumping beat of Snap's the Power, the beautiful Mr Finger's what about this love, I can hear the melody in my ears now. The typical Haçienda sound of Jillian Mendez's Don't Know What You're Missing - for me this sums up those Haçienda nights to a 'T'

Oh yes, it was the following week that I didn't get in the Haçienda!! the only night! still I have this set to remind me of the night... and so do you!

Sunday, 16 February 2014

Tape Y from Parky to complete the double pack from this date. Graeme Park on form on this one, playing several of his remixes and a good year for vocal houseDownload: Graeme Park 1994.05.14 @ Haçienda Tape Y

Thursday, 13 February 2014

The week before the birthday party and the Haçienda would be buzzing, who was going? where were tickets going spare, who was playing? along with those acting too cool to go but you knew they would be there... wtf!! too cool, what was that attitude about? Life's way too short for that shit! It was about the party not the attitude..... Where was I? This is the first tape of a double pack from the night. Pure uplifting vocal house and garage from the day - the perfect build up to the birthday celebrations to put us in the mood. Parky used to label his sets as Tape X, Tape Y etc, and fortunately both will be on here in celebration of the Haçienda.. enjoy Download: Graeme Park 1994.05.14 @ Haçienda, Manchester, Tape X Side ADownload: Graeme Park 1994.05.14 @ Haçienda, Manchester, Tape X Side B

Do you remember the screens at the side of the dance floor, avant-garde images, pop bites and porn?... I guess they had to make indie nights interesting... soon went when the house nights kicked in!! Sneakily though, I did enjoy watching them from the balcony with a can of red stripe!!

Sunday, 9 February 2014

'Superb' to quote Mr Parky himself.... A tasty mix of older house and vocal slabs from '93. A recently acquired set that sets a standard for this year, dominated by vocal house and garage. Haçienda nights at their finest.Download: Graeme Park 1993.03 @ Haçienda, Manchester

Saturday, 8 February 2014

Wednesday night madness, the start to our weekend. I loved Wednesday nights at this time, less edgy than the weekend with the same faces everyweek more or less. It was our night irrespective of whether or not there was work or college next day. Super friendly, shared moments and spectacular atmosphere. To top it off I still have two real close friends from those nights.... dancing until 2.00 and back to Levenshulme to carry on all night - Good times. This is the earliest Jon Da Silva Haçienda set that I have... enjoy.

Saturday, 1 February 2014

An early set from the Haçienda during the first summer of love. Raw Chicago classics and Acid house at it's best. Classic after classic that would have been first in a queue to hear if they did a Haçienda re-union night of this ilk! HINT HINT! Who would miss a night where you could hear Parky, or Pickering playing 'Phuture Pfantasy Club' 'Inner City', 'Armando' Laurent X- Machines' along side Voodoo Ray by A Guy called Gerald?' You can sense the atmosphere in the set and instantly tell why the Hacienda was ahead of the game... a classic Haçienda moment.... enjoy